Madras HC directs TN govt to stall construction works of Vallalar International Center at Vadalur

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State to stall all the construction work of Vallalar International Center in the Peruveli of Sathya Gnana Sabai at Vadalur, till further order.

The Temple Bench comprising Justice R Mahadevan and Justice PD Audikesavalu heard the petition moved by S Vinoth Ragavendran, state secretary of the spiritual and temple development wing, BJP seeking to restrain the State from establishing Vallalar International Center on the land of Sathya Gnana Sabai.

The counsel representing the petitioner submitted that Sri Ramalinga Swamigal (Vallalar) himself prohibited any construction in Peruveli, as it is meant only to worship during the Arutperum Jothi, the eight-door opening ceremony.

The property belongs to Vallalar and it is a 150-year-old monument, any construction on the 106 acres of Peruveli is against the wishes of Vallalar, said the counsel.

Being a 150-year-old monument, the State must get sanction from the Heritage Commission and Archeological Survey of India (ASI) as per the Court's order submitted the counsel. The State flouted the Court's order by constructing the international center without any sanction, submitted the counsel, and sought the court to prohibit the construction in Peruveli.

The Advocate General (AG) PS Raman submitted that the construction of the international center is in no way abate the Vallalar shrine as the establishment would be away and rear to the shrine. By issuing a government order the State allotted nearly Rs. 100 crore for the construction of the international center, submitted the AG.

The international center would be constructed to the extent of 3 acres with space for 500 devotees to mediate at a time, a museum, an auditorium to accommodate 500 devotees at once, a digital library, sanmarga study center, restaurant and toilet facilities, said the AG.

It was also submitted that the international center is for the benefit of Vallalar devotees and the facilities will be vested with the Sathya Gnana Sabai after the construction, said the AG.

Some works of the construction were stopped as a huge laterite stone was found in the land of Peruveli and three archeological experts were employed to find the age of the stone, submitted the AG. The excavation work to lay the foundation for the international center is underway, said the AG.

After the submission, the bench posted the hearing to May 10 and directed the State not to proceed with the construction till the next hearing.